Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who has held up more than 360 military promotions and created a stalemate that has consumed the Senate for months, claimed the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East were “created” by Democrats.
“They need to be worried about what’s going on in Ukraine, the Middle East, the wars that their side, the Democrats and Joe Biden, have created but you know, they want to circumvent the rules in the Senate,” Tuberville told Newsmax’s Bianca de la Garza on Friday.
Democrats are looking to use a standing order resolution to move more than 300 military nominees who have been stalled over Tuberville’s protest over the Department of Defense’s (DOD) abortion policies.
The resolution would allow the Senate to move the promotions through the end of 2024. It would first go through the Senate Rules Committee.
Tuberville is opposed to the DOD policy that pays for the travel expenses of service members who take leave to obtain abortions. Several members of the Republican conference support his protest.
Tuberville expressed concern that the resolution would take away the limited power granted to him in the minority in the Upper House.
“The only power you have in the minority is to be able to have holds on something to get the attention of the other side, whether its Republican or Democrat,” he said.
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Tuberville said he is asking for a vote on the policy and if it passes, “we do what the American people elect to do.”
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), would need strong bipartisan support and at least 60 votes to overcome an expected filibuster.
One member said there would be intense political backlash against any GOP senator who sided with Democrats on the issue.
It’s already getting strong pushback from other conservatives within the GOP conference and Democrats are going to face a tough time finding the nine votes they need to pass it. Tuberville said the Democrats trying to pass the measure along with President Biden are “playing dictator from the White House.”
“This administration, Bianca, has screwed everything up in our country,” Tuberville said. “They’ve screwed everything up all over the world since they’ve been in. It’s a disaster.”